ROV joins search for missing swimmer on Lake Chelan

CHELAN — Search efforts continued Monday for a 43-year-old Snohomish County man who disappeared after jumping from a boat into Lake Chelan on July 4, with a remotely operated underwater vehicle deployed to assist crews searching water too deep for divers.

According to the Chelan County Sheriff's Office, RiverCom received a report of a possible drowning at approximately 2:30 p.m. July 4. The incident occurred about two miles east of Lake Chelan State Park, in the vicinity of Wapato Point, one of the lake's busiest recreational areas during the Independence Day weekend.

Friends told dispatchers the man had jumped from their boat to swim only minutes earlier before disappearing beneath the surface. When they were unable to locate him, they called for help.

Chelan County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol and Lake Chelan Fire & Rescue responded by boat, while rescue swimmers entered the water in an attempt to locate the missing man. Several nearby recreational boaters also joined the search, scanning the area alongside emergency responders during one of the lake's busiest boating weekends of the year.

Despite searching until approximately 5 p.m. July 4, crews were unable to locate the man.

The search resumed Monday using additional technology suited to the conditions beneath the lake's surface. The Douglas County PUD provided a remotely operated underwater vehicle, or ROV, to search the man's last known location. Sheriff's officials said the search area is approximately 200 feet deep, well beyond the depth where dive teams can safely conduct underwater searches.

Douglas County PUD maintains specialized underwater inspection equipment for work at Wells Dam, making the utility's ROV a nearby resource capable of searching deep water without placing divers at risk.

The Chelan County Sheriff's Office Air Support Unit also flew over the area Monday, searching nearby shallower water from the air while marine crews continued working on the lake.

The sheriff's office did not indicate how long search operations are expected to continue.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media